Brownies Are Dessert

I didn't know brownies existed until going to a tea after my older sister's performance.  Small plates of things were set out, only a few of which I recognized, like cookies.  My sister told me to take a brownie, pointing to a dark rectangle.  It's delicious, she said.  True, I discovered.  More dense than cake, less sweet than chocolate, not as cloying and granular as fudge, and if they have walnuts, oh my.

You can imagine my horror when in grade three and my friend, Susan, invited me to her Brownies meeting.  I scanned the room, but could only see serious little girls in brown paramilitary uniforms.  Nowhere were there plates of delicious treats.  I left, never to return.

I've made them from boxes of mixed powders to puréed black beans.  This recipe comes together quickly, and is fabulous.  It's based on Our Best Easy Fudgy Brownies, by Inspired Taste. Of course, I always do my own thing!

Heat oven to 330 F.  Use an 8 X 8 inch metal pan.  In a microwavable bowl, mix

2/3 cup of butter, chopped into pieces

1 cup of organic granulated sugar (available at a certain Big Box that pays people fairly)

1/4 cup of coconut sugar

3/4 cup good quality cocoa, plus two tablespoons 

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt, and a few sprinkles for later  

1 teaspoon good quality vanilla (I use my homemade)

2 large cold eggs

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2/3 cup chopped walnuts

Place butter, sugars, cocoa and that 1/4 teaspoon of salt in the microwavable bowl. Microwave for 20 or so seconds.  Stir!  Microwave again for 20 or so.  Stir!  You may need to do this a few times.  What you want is a not quite boiling hot glossy mixture. 

While it's cooling, line your pan with two crossed pieces of parchment, making sure the longer one is on the bottom, for easy lifting when baked. 

Once the mixture is cool enough it won't cook the first, egg, mix that egg in well.  Then the second. Add the vanilla and stir some more.

Add half of the whole wheat flour, and stir 20 times.  Add the last half of the flour and stir as much again.  Add the chopped walnuts, and stir 10 more times.

Pour into the pan, using a spatula to spread it into the corners and smooth it out.  Carefully sprinkle that bit of Kosher salt over the surface.  Salty sweets are all the rage. 

Bake 20 minutes.  Prick the middle with a toothpick, if moist crumbs cling, it's done.  The edges should be slightly pulled back from the pan, but if the toothpick has sticky goo, keep baking.  I'm using a new oven, and have to go almost 35 minutes, but that's my oven, not yours!

Place on a cooling rack till fully cool.  Lift onto a cutting board by the parchment paper, and cut into small pieces.  Remember, less is more.  Encourage people to eat three, maybe seven small ones, instead of leaving a huge one unfinished and forlorn on the plate.